25-972: Sydney Dance Company is a contemporary dance company in Australia. They have performed at the Sydney Opera House in Australia , the Joyce Theater in New York , the Shanghai Grand Theatre in China, and the Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow . Sydney Dance Company was founded in 1969 as the dance-in-education group Ballet in a Nutshell by Suzanne Musitz (Davidson), later changing its name to Athletes and Dancers , and Dance Company (NSW) . From 1975 to 1976,
50-819: A contemporary dance piece calling attention to the issues surrounding our ever-increasing dependence on technology. Concert dance Concert dance (also known as performance dance or theatre dance in the United Kingdom ) is dance performed for an audience . It is frequently performed in a theatre setting, though this is not a requirement, and it is usually choreographed and performed to set music. By contrast, social dance and participation dance may be performed without an audience and, typically, these dance forms are neither choreographed nor danced to set music, though there are exceptions. For example, some ceremonial dances and baroque dances blend concert dance with participation dance by having participants assume
75-545: A dance technique called Taylor technique, which is now taught at modern dance schools like The Ailey School in New York City. Additionally, choreographers like William Forsythe developed techniques that deconstructed classical dance vocabulary and expanded both the technical and conceptual possibilities of contemporary dance. According to the International Encyclopedia of Dance, William Forsythe has established
100-578: A framework for his conceptual ballets which do not conform to a fixed style but instead integrate elements from various trends in contemporary art and thought. His productions utilize language, song, film, video, sculpture, and electronic sounds, as well as amplified noises generated by the dancers. His choreography incorporates academic dance terminology that imparts a classical quality to all of his works, even his most experimental pieces. William Forsythe has cited Rudolf Laban and his Space Harmony movement as an artistic influence, although his ballet technique
125-526: A selection of existing music by composers such as Keith Jarrett , Francis Poulenc , Benjamin Britten , and Samuel Barber . Hate (1982) featured a score by the Australian composer Carl Vine , and the 1985 production Boxes included original music by composer and musician Iva Davies . In May 2007, the company announced that Tanja Liedtke as its new artistic director; however on 17 August of that year Liedtke
150-785: A separate branch dedicated to theatre dance, with codified syllabi in each technique. Many dance teachers and schools worldwide, prepare their pupils for dance examinations and qualifications with a UK-based organisation, with notable examples including the Royal Academy of Dance , the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and the International Dance Teachers Association . All UK theatre dance organisations are consistent in offering classical ballet , tap and modern or jazz as their core theatre branch subjects . Many also offer 'theatre craft' or 'stage dance', which
175-583: A shift from spontaneous and experimental methods to choreographies grounded in intellectual concepts, such as mathematical structures and repetitive patterns. Contemporary dance sometimes incorporates elements of non-western dance cultures, such as elements from African dance including bent knees, or movements from the Japanese contemporary dance, Butoh . Contemporary dance continues to explore natural movement while embracing diverse influences and unconventional staging. Additionally, contemporary dance also examines
200-629: A structured linguistic system, to the subsequent "performative turn" which critiques representational practices and introduces new themes central to contemporary choreography. These themes include liveness, immediacy, authenticity, identity, and the interplay between presence and absence. As a result, contemporary dance works have become platforms for exploring complex themes, such as the unrepresentable and intangible aspects of human existence, which are difficult to represent using traditional and classical movement forms. Contemporary dance draws on both classical ballet and modern dance, whereas postmodern dance
225-453: A three-year sponsorship of the company involving special broadcasts and incorporating the company into subscription television programs Australia's Next Top Model and Project Runway Australia . In 2009, Anne Dunn was appointed Executive Director of the Company. Rafael Bonachela has been the artistic director of the company since 2009. His first commissioned work for the company, 360° ,
250-419: Is a genre of dance performance that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in the U.S. and Europe. Although originally informed by and borrowing from classical , modern , and jazz styles, it has come to incorporate elements from many styles of dance. According to
275-497: Is assumed that an element (a movement, a sound , a change of light) is in and of itself expressive; what it communicates is in large part determined by the observer themselves." Cunningham formed the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in 1953 and went on to create more than one hundred and fifty works for the company, many of which have been performed internationally by ballet and modern dance companies . Additionally,
SECTION 10
#1732848199109300-542: Is significantly shaped by George Balanchine . Through the combination of these influences, William Forsythe has developed a technique of dance characterized by its fragmented nature, which further expounds the subtle differences and interconnectedness of modern, postmodern, and contemporary dance. Reflecting the situation in society at large, contemporary dance is increasingly incorporating overtly technological elements, and, in particular, robots. Robotics engineer/dancer Amy LaViers, for example, has incorporated cell phones in
325-435: Is usually a choreographer who makes the creative decisions and decides whether the piece is an abstract or a narrative one. Dancers are selected based on their skill and training. The choreography is determined based on its relation to the music or sounds that is danced to. The role of music in contemporary dance is different from in other genres because it can serve as a backdrop to the piece. The choreographer has control over
350-862: The Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and with composers 48nord and Ezio Bosso . In 2014, the company announced it was granted permission to perform William Forsythe's 1993 work Quintett . The work is set to Gavin Bryars ' Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet . The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards ), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognised achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Sydney Dance Company won two awards in that time. Contemporary dance Contemporary dance
375-537: The New Grove Musical Dictionary, contemporary dance evolved from the foundations of modern and postmodern dance, emphasizing innovation and a break from traditional forms. Due to its technical similarities, it is often perceived to be closely related to modern dance, ballet, and other classical concert dance styles. It is characterized by a blend of styles that often integrate elements of ballet, modern dance, and cultural or social dance forms. In terms of
400-575: The company was led by Dutch choreographer Jaap Flier and later by Australian choreographer Graeme Murphy in 1976. In 1979, Graeme Murphy and his wife, Janet Vernon, also a dancer, renamed the company as Sydney Dance Company and served as artistic directors for three decades. During their tenure, the company became the first Western contemporary dance company to perform in the People's Republic of China . Company productions have incorporated works from notable musicians. The production Some Rooms (1983) featured
425-415: The concepts of choreography and dramaturgy. The distinction between composition and improvisation, as well as between finished works and ongoing processes, is collapsed in the style of contemporary dance. This dissolution between previously rigid distinctions parallels broader cultural shifts from what scholar Gabrielle Klein calls the "linguistic turn," which treated dance as a form of text and choreography as
450-749: The costumes and their aesthetic value for the overall composition of the performance and also in regards to how they influence dancers’ movements. Post-structuralist thought has significantly influenced contemporary dance. This influence has led to a deeper exploration of the dancer’s primary medium, the body, which sparked the development and integration of innovative movement techniques. Dance techniques and movement philosophies employed in contemporary dance may include Contemporary ballet , Dance improvisation , Interpretive dance , Lyrical dance , Modern dance styles from United States such as Graham technique , Humphrey-Weidman technique and Horton technique, Modern dance of Europe Bartenieff Fundamentals and
475-730: The dance technique of Isadora Duncan (also see Free dance ). Contemporary dancers train using contemporary dance techniques as well as non-dance related practices such as Pilates , Yoga , the acting practice of Corporeal mime - Étienne Decroux technique and somatic practices such as Alexander technique , Feldenkrais Method , Sullivan Technique and Franklin-Methode , American contemporary techniques such as José Limón technique and Hawkins technique and Postmodern dance techniques such as Contact improvisation and Cunningham technique, and Release technique . Some well-known choreographers and creators of contemporary dance created schools and techniques of their own. Paul Taylor developed
500-779: The emergence of Tanztheater , German for “dance theater,” pushed contemporary dance beyond traditional performance boundaries. This genre incorporated everyday movements and blurred the distinction between art and daily life. Tanztheater steered contemporary dance away from linear narratives toward fragmented and montage-like choreography, giving rise to a style marked by disjointed "dance pieces" rather than narrative styles. Cunningham's key ideas include- Other pioneers of contemporary dance (the offspring of modern and postmodern) include Ruth St. Denis , Doris Humphrey , Mary Wigman , Pina Bausch , Francois Delsarte , Émile Jaques-Dalcroze , Paul Taylor , Rudolph von Laban , Loie Fuller , José Limón , Marie Rambert , and Trisha Brown . There
525-520: The focus of its technique, contemporary dance tends to combine the strong but controlled legwork of ballet with modern that stresses on torso. It also employs contract-release, floor work , fall and recovery, and improvisation characteristics of modern dance. Unpredictable changes in rhythm, speed, and direction are often used, as well. In the 1980s, the approach to contemporary dance became more intentional and academically focused, often described as “interdisciplinary” and “collaborative.” This period marked
SECTION 20
#1732848199109550-463: The role of performer or audience at different moments. Many dance styles are principally performed in a concert dance context, including these: In the United Kingdom, theatre dance is a common term used to indicate a range of performance dance disciplines, and widely used in reference to the teaching of dance. The UK has a number of dance training and examination boards, with the majority having
575-461: Was a direct and opposite response to modern dance. Merce Cunningham is considered to be the first choreographer to "develop an independent attitude towards modern dance" and defy the ideas that were established by it. In 1944 Cunningham accompanied his dance with music by John Cage , who observed that Cunningham's dance "no longer relies on linear elements (...) nor does it rely on a movement towards and away from climax. As in abstract painting , it
600-521: Was as a guest choreographer. His works include unfold (2009), 6 Breaths (2010), LANDforms (2011) and 2 One Another (2012), Irony of Fate , Soledad , and The Land of Yes & The Land of No. He has worked with guest choreographers Kenneth Kvarnstrom ( Mercury 2009), Adam Linder ( Are We That We Are 2010), Emanuel Gat ( Satisfying Musical Moments 2010), and Jacopo Godani ( Raw Models 2011). Other guest choreographers include Alexander Ekman and Gideon Obarzanek , as well as collaborations with
625-399: Was killed in a traffic accident in the northern suburbs of Sydney. In December 2007, Executive Director Noel Staunton launched the company's 2008 season, announcing three guest choreographers, Meryl Tankard , Rafael Bonachela and Aszure Barton , to create new works for the company. Bonachela was subsequently appointed the Company's new Artistic Director. In December 2008, Foxtel signed
#108891